Symphony offers Share-A-Seat program

The Rockford Symphony Orchestra (RSO) has announced Share-A-Seat, a program making it possible for community members who receive assistance from local human services organizations to attend an RSO performance.

Tickets are available from a pool donated by the public. For just $15 each, a company or individual can donate tickets to the Share-A-Seat program. This purchase is 100 percent tax-deductible and enables the RSO to make free tickets available to individuals who likely would not otherwise be able to attend a concert.

This program was introduced during the RSO’s 2009/10 season, and more than 125 seats have been donated to date. Since September, more than 60 individuals have attended an RSO concert through the Share-A-Seat Program. Human Services organizations such as Rosecrance, The Janet Wattles Center and the Center for Sight and Hearing have had clients participate in the program. The concert experience is often partnered with counseling or education opportunities at the service facility.

According to Rosecrance President and CEO Philip W. Eaton: “Our patients come back to the campuses after concerts talking about the impact these wonderful performances had on them. Beyond the sheer enjoyment they get from the music, these experiences till the ground for self-awareness and understanding…and help them on the path toward healing.”

One Rosecrance patient shared in a thank-you letter to the RSO, “You not only brought us closer together, but you showed us how to enjoy ourselves without the use of mind-altering substances.”

Local human service organizations interested in having their clients attend a concert can call the RSO office at (815) 965-0049 to request an application. Tickets are subject to availability. Anyone interested in donating to the Share-A-Seat program can do so at www.rockfordsymphony.com/support/Share-A-Seat.